Bangladesh Observes International Day of UN Peacekeepers Today

Bangladesh is observing the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers with due solemnity on Wednesday (June 10).

Although the day is globally celebrated annually on May 29, Bangladesh deferred its national observance to today due to the recent Eid holidays.

To mark the occasion, a ceremony will be held at Senakunja in Dhaka Cantonment to honor the family members of Bangladeshi peacekeepers who made the supreme sacrifice while serving in UN peacekeeping missions.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will attend the event at 9:30 AM as the chief guest.

In a message issued on Tuesday (June 9), the Prime Minister stated that UN peacekeeping operations are a unique initiative to ensure global peace, stability, and humanitarian security.

Extending his warm greetings and deep respect to all peacekeepers worldwide, he noted that peacekeepers have been working with immense courage, patience, and dedication to restore peace in regions ravaged by conflict, violence, and humanitarian crises.

The Prime Minister paid profound tribute to the brave peacekeepers who sacrificed their lives while discharging their noble duties to establish world peace.

Emphasizing that their sacrifice will remain forever etched in the nation's history, he expressed deep condolences to the injured peacekeepers and the families of the deceased.

A Legacy of Global Leadership
Bangladesh has long maintained a prestigious position as one of the world's top contributors of military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations.

According to UN data, Bangladesh ranked as the top troops-contributing country consistently from July 2020 to October 2023, frequently alternating between the first and second positions over the years.

Experts and defense officials noted that Bangladesh Army’s journey with UN peacekeeping missions began in 1988 with the deployment of military observers to the Iran-Iraq conflict.

Over the past 38 years, Bangladesh has evolved into a proud and key partner in executing UN peace operations.

The Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force joined these global efforts in 1993, while the Bangladesh Police has been participating since 1989, beginning its journey with the UN mission in Namibia.

Since then, a total of 21,828 Bangladesh Police personnel—including 1,928 female officers—have served in 27 peacekeeping missions across 25 countries.

Statistical Overview of Bangladesh's Contribution
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) directorate, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have successfully completed 63 UN missions across 43 countries and territories.

• Total Peacekeepers Deployed: 206,476 (including 3,645 female peacekeepers)
• Army Contribution: 162,035 personnel
• Current Deployment: 4,412 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are currently active across 9 ongoing UN missions.

Since inception, a total of 175 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have lost their lives in the line of duty.

This includes 138 from the Army, 4 from the Navy, 9 from the Air Force, and 24 from the Police. Additionally, 287 personnel have been injured during these missions.